TMNT 2012 Oneshots
by CrimsonNote
Summary: A collection of Oneshots and drabbles about our favourite New-York Ninjas! Rated for overall content type and scenarios. Please enjoy and review if you can!
1. Morning Routine

**_Morning Routine -_** _The turtles take a needed trip to the farmhouse. Leo faces his old enemy, Mikey gets into trouble doing the simplest of things, Raph is on time for once and Donnie... well Donnie isn't a morning turtle._

Leonardo looked at his enemy with annoyed anticipation. His blue eyes, restless like ocean waves, glared at the mocking image of his opponent. They'd met before, many a-time and it always resulted in the same situation, a lack of trust. So as the scent of burning reached his senses, he frowned and lunged forth in a charge of energy. The blue banded brother crossed the room in a few strides, flipped over the countertop, rattling the perfectly placed plates ever so slightly and landing perfectly before jutting out his hand… and pressing the stop button on the toaster. _Foul thing_.

The slices of evenly cut toast were released for collection and Leonardo grinned, then his grin faltered as he seen the singed edges were brown bread had crisped into black flakes. He groaned, then twirled on the spot and muttered a string of terse Japanese before begrudgingly plucking his prize from the toaster.

" _So_ close yet _so_ far" An amused voice sounded from the entrance to the kitchen, a shake of a head threaded through it before a snort of laughter. "Don't worry bro, I'm sure you'll catch on to modern day equipment in no time. Just ask Donnie for some tutoring and…" Mikey clicked his tongue off the roof of his mouth and pointed at his brother with both hands and a wink.

"Oh please, I'm great with technology" Leo rolled his eyes as he placed the toast onto the various plates. Mikey muttered a 'Yeah right' quietly before Leo pointed to the toaster. " _That_ is not technology, it's out to get me I swear" He declared as he eyed the metallic contraption with mistrust laced into his eyes. Mikey snorted back a chuckle and went to fetch the butter from the fridge. He plopped it into the oak table next to the salt and pepper that lay permanently in that spot, before throwing a 'Be right back' over his shoulder and heading for the door.

"Where you going, it better not be…" The warning in his voice was cut shot as Mikey waved him off with a chuckle, opening the cupboard and plucking out the chicken feed.

"Relax, I can't keep the ladies waiting bruh. It's rude" He saluted with a wink and headed out into the cold November morning. Leo had mentally face-palmed at that time, he'd forgotten about the chores that they had all taken up upon his absence the last time they were here. His job had mainly just been generally keeping everything in order at the house, Mikey handled the chickens, Donnie tended to the farm equipment, Raph handled the firewood and April and Casey pretty much kept tabs on the groceries.

This time however was a holiday, a much needed one. Literally a needed one. Although they indeed had human DNA, they were still developed from reptiles, cold-blooded creatures which needed heat all around them to survive. In the years before, Splinter had kept them warm, but that was before the endless floods in the sewers, the heating going shells-up and The blankets developing a thick layer of mould from their place stashed in one of the old, dark maintenance rooms. So they made a call, Splinter would remain in the lair, he wasn't as affected by the cold as his sons were, Rockwell was staying to help him repair the heating systems as were April and Casey, who had bought them enough supplies to last the week they spent here. The house after they would leave would be maintained by a groundsman, as would the animals. So win-win.

He glanced out the window toward the frosted morning landscape, each blade of grass was defined even further by the lair of sparkling white coating its every fibre. Leo wished they could see central park this way. His thoughts were rattled as a loud 'thud' echoed from up-stairs. Donnie was awake. He'd better get the coffee started.

"Better hurry with that kettle, oh-fearless one" Raphael rolled his shoulder with a wince as he headed down the hallway towards him. He also knew the routine with Donatello in the morning.

"You sleep on your side again?" Leo acknowledged him by handing him his plate of toast.

"Yeah" Raph replied with a shrug. "I'll get Donnie to take a look as soon as he's outta' his cave-turtle routine" Raph rolled his eyes. It had become a well-known fact that Raph's left shoulder, the side he often slept on in his hammock back home, had a slight fault which was only amplified if it bore the weight of him, it once even dislocated, resulting in a lot of embarrassment for the 'toughest' turtle in the team. It had also become a well-known fact that Donatello should be regarded very carefully in the morning. He was not a morning turtle.

Raph glanced at the singed edges of his toast and grumbled. "At least ya' didn't burn the whole lot"

"I tried and therefor I should not be judged" Leonardo replied haughtily as he put the kettle onto boil. Raph rolled his eyes as he munched loudly on his toast. A moment later and a pot of coffee was laid on the table, it wasn't a moment too soon because a grumbling Donatello was dragging himself into the room. His tired, brown eyes were squinting at the light. Raphael smirked and handed him a mug of coffee which he took groggily and downed all in one with a tilt back of his which he shook afterwards to clear.

"Morning sunshine" Raph teased, nudging his brothers arm.

"Get'off" Donatello slurred, gently shoving him away as he sat down. Leo handed him his plate and rubbed the top of his head fondly. "Where's Mike" He glanced around sleepily.

"Out feeding 'his ladies'" Leo rolled his eyes. While turning, he looked out of the window, although steamed up from the kettle, he could clearly see Mikey kneeling next to…

Leo suddenly had to look again, his face full of disgust before he was jogging out of the front door shouting "Mikey that is not a mole hill!" in a shriek.

Donnie grumbled and looked in the direction the shout came from, rubbing the side of his head. Raph jumped up from his seat to look out the window in time to see Leo skidding to a stop and yelling at Mikey who suddenly let out a disgusted shriek.

"It's gonna be one of those days, isn't it?" Donnie grumbled, taking a bite out of his toast. In the background, beyond the heat-preserving walls he could hear Leo and Mikey trudging back to the porch.

"Yep" Raph replied with an evil smirk and a shake of his head.


	2. Engaged

**Engaged** \- _April is engaged and Donnie needs to be happy for her. Raph can try and help with that._

Donatello flinched as the cheering shouts from next door echoed into his lab. He bit back the urge to break down into tears, the swell in his throat making his mouth feel dry, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he clutched a rag over his mouth. Michelangelo's delighted shout echoed from the lounge pit where the rest of his family were gathered.

"I can't believe it, you're engaged!?" The sound of his orange-clad brother's oblivious delight made Donnie's stomach knot that much harder. The sound of April's startled laugh split his skin in two as the cold touch of bitter resentment crawled up his shell, snagging his carapace and keeping him in the dark recesses of the lab.

"I couldn't believe it either!" she replied giddily. "I thought Casey might just be sneaking around again, but he was working extra shifts to save up for the ring!" she squeaked.

"Jade, a fitting choice" came Splinters voice, a smile almost threaded through it. Donnie scrunched his eyes tighter, feeling his heart getting shredded behind his plastron, lungs burning for air as tears slid silently from his wide, chocolate coloured eyes, pouring over the hand he had clamped to his face. "When is there to be a wedding?" the dreaded question came from his sensei.

"We're thinking October" April's reply was slightly sheepish and hesitant "I don't want to leave it too long" she said, Donnie felt the twist of a scream threatening to split his throat at her reply.

"This is really great, April" That was Leo, Donnie could practically hear him place a gentle hand on the red-heads shoulder.

" _Donnie?"_

The gruff, concerned voice startled him and he only realised he was under the make-shift desk when his head hit it from underneath. His shocked, wide eyes blinked up like a nervous kitten as Raphael stared down at him.

"I-I..." came his hoarse, desperate attempt at speaking, his red-clad brother flinched at the tone. Donnie stared desperately up at him through the dark gloom of his surroundings and they stayed like that for a few long seconds. Raphael looked over his shoulder and turned on his heel, Donnie felt like running after him, _what if he told the others!?_

But Donnie couldn't move, not an inch as his brother headed to the door. He only blinked in confusion as Raph slid it carefully shut without alerting the occupants in the other room, and then faced his brother hidden in the shadows underneath the mish-mash of a broken desk. Raphael felt his chest become heavy as he took in the crippling sight of the devastated genius.

His red clad brother moved the chair out of the way, extending a hand which at first Donnie flinched away from. "Don…" he said softly. "Come on out…"

* * *

"Come on out Donnie…"

Donnie's young wide eyes stared sideways at his slightly older brother who crouched by his bed, staring at the young purple-clad turtle hiding underneath. "Come on out…" he added encouragingly, green eyes blinking hopefully at his brother.

"I broke it" Donnie sobbed, clutching the fragments of duct-taped plastic in his hands. "Raphie… I broke it" he choked out as he held the pieces of the remote to his plastron, the skin around his eyes slightly raw with salty tears.

"I can help you learn how to fix it?" Raph offered quietly, his hand still outstretched toward his seven-year old brother. "But I need you to come out first…" he said with a careful nod, he didn't want to startle his upset brother further.

"B-But sensei…" Donnie started to squeak but his red-clad brother merely shook his head with a light smile, cutting off Donatello's frightened murmur.

"It was an accident, Donnie, Splinter won't be mad…" he tried to sooth the frightened turtle.

"I just wanted to see how it works" He mumbled, staring down at his hands.

"I know…" Raph replied "Now we can see how it works when we fix it" he said. Donnie looked up at his brother with a glint in his eye.

"Really?" he asked, eyes as wide as they could get.

"Really" Raph confirmed, taking his hand.

* * *

Donnie stared at the outstretched hand, bandaged and scarred with years of training and combat on the streets of New-York. He flicked his wide, bloodshot eyes up at the pair of sad emerald orbs blinking back. With a shaky, uneven breath, he reached out and took his older brothers hand, allowing the more muscular turtle to pull him out from under the desk.

Before Donnie could react beyond that, Raph had pulled him into a hug, Donnie hesitated, his breath hitching, before finally returning it as tears rolled down his face, the gloom of his lab concealing the rare comforting gesture.

Raph patted his shell "It will be okay" he said quietly.

"T-They're getting married" Donnie muttered, his vocal cords feeling numb.

"I know…" came the sullen reply. Raph peeled his taller brother off of him and looked him carefully in the eye "And we gotta be happy for them, right?" Raphael said firmly, yet softness still threading through his gruff voice. "You gotta be happy for _her_ , Don"

Donnie fell silent as Raphael's words sunk into his skin, soaked through his consciousness. They remained in the silence for a few moments, before Donnie slowly nodded, looking down at his feet.

"I…" he attempted to speak, before clearing his throat, scrubbing his face with the back of his hand to rid himself of the salty tears which gathered there. "I-I will… be happy for her… eventually" Donnie said hesitantly, like he was still unsure of what he was saying, blinking back the remains of the spilled damn behind his eyes.

Raph rubbed his head fondly "Good, now how bout' you pull yourself together" Raph said, draping his arm over the genius' "It'll look bad if we don't show up" he said with a light smile tugging at his defined features.

Donnie tried to smile, and he did… to a point. Raph sighed and gestured to the sink he'd helped Donnie install years ago in the lab. "Go an' wash your mug, I'll just say you got some chemicals in the face when we were arguin'" Raph said, sliding open the door, allowing a singular beam of warm light to spill through, cutting the gloom in the room like a knife to butter.

"Right" Donnie agreed numbly, fidgeting with the rag he still held in one grip. Raph paused to look at his brother.

"Ey, Don?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Donnie turned on his way to the sink.

"It _will_ be okay" Raph enunciated his words as clear as day with a firm nod of his head. Donnie looked down at his shuffling feet, then back up at his brother and gave a curt, firm, nod of his head. Raph grinned openly and headed out into the lounge.

"I heard someone's getting married!" Donnie heard his brother call out into the room, a delighted squeak coming soon after and the grunt of somebody being caught off guard with a hug following just after that.

Donnie looked down at the cloth in his hand, then back to the lab door where the light streamed in, highlighting the dust particles in the air. Donnie smiled softly, his eyes glazed over with something new, something only Raph was able to let him see.

 _Hope._

* * *

 _Authors note: Hopefully you enjoyed this; I have always personally thought that April will eventually choose Casey over Donatello, So I wanted to have a crack at writing this scene. I hope you guys liked it!_

 _I tried to sort out all the mistakes I could find, so I'm really sorry if you find any ^.^'_


	3. Catch Me

**Catch Me** _\- Mikey sometimes forgets that his brothers will always be there to catch him, Luckily Leonardo is there to remind him._

Distress was beginning to claw its way at Leonardo.

The huge machine, tossed away from the explosion was tumbling towards the chasm that sheared through the ground. It was taking Mikey with it, tangled in thick cables that he had stumbled into in the mists of the ear-shattering noise of combusting metal and fracturing walls of the underground station that was half-collapsing into the undercity below. The undercity that was only accessible by a deathly drop, the undercity Mikey was being dragged into.

Leo broke into a frantic sprint.

His throat tightened. His hands were outstretched and desperately searching for purchase. "Mikey!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as his youngest, most innocent brother was dragged away from him towards the edge of the sheer drop. Michelangelo, his eyes hopelessly wide and clouded, reached out with his only free hand before the heavy machinery dragged him down into the gloom. He hadn't even screamed.

The same couldn't be said for Donatello. Leonardo felt his brother's outburst of terror snag at his shell. He dived over the edge. Raphael's scream of alarm from behind tightened his throat in a vice-like grip. And Leonardo was swallowed into the gloom, the gnashing teeth of darkness gnawing at his nerves, tears flying from the corners of his eyes which could see nothing but darkness… until something else edged its way into his vision below him, something grey, green, orange, Mikey!

His little brothers beautiful face was below him, his eyes scrunched closed in anticipation of the deathly connection with the ground below. They remained hopelessly closed until the whistle of blades unsheathing from Leo's holsters had them snapping open.

Leonardo stretched out his hand, the grappling gun in his other firing back up into the pinprick of sewer light above them. Mikey gasped, his hand shot out, an inch, a centimetre away and then Leo found his hold. His blade slicing the thick cables that were currently stealing his brother away from him. Mikey was pulled free.

Leo heard the shell-cracking sob of relief from his brother, it only made his grip on him tighter. The cable snapped taught, Leo's wrist cracked and a scream tore from his throat. His hold did not falter. Mikey clutched at him, the cable trembled. Leo's gasps of pain shook his body, the bones in his wrist surely broken, his shoulder ripped out of joint.

"L-Leo?!" Mikey half-shouted in alarm, trembling violently, only barely seeing the agony on his brother's face. Leo gasped, sharp splinters of burning white pain running down his arm as he fought for breath. From above the cable began to recoil. From below, the loud echo of metal connecting with concrete sent shudders running up their spines.

"Leo, Mikey!?" Donnie's voice was hesitant, raw and loud above them. Mikey looked up with those cyan eyes that seemed so luminescent in the dark, he opened his mouth to make sound but nothing dare happened.

"Pull us up!" Came the agony-filled cry from his brother, his voice high pitched and strained. The cable recoiled faster and the gloom was torn away as strong, steadying hands suddenly gripped them and pulled them up onto the ledge. Leo let go of Mikey, his hands red and slick. Mikey hadn't realised that he adorned gashes from where the sharp, thick, barbed cables had clung to his skin. He collapsed as Raphael caught him. The likewise was happening to Leo whose arm was at an odd, unnatural angle, his hand held to his chest.

"Ohmygod...ohmygod…" Came the blurred-together words of Donnie his frenzied hands danced over them both as if he were making sure they were real. Raphael ripped his bandanna off, pressing it against the deepest cut over Michelangelo's shoulder, his thick hide having prevented any serious damage.

Mikey sank into Raph's grip, his chest heaving with the barely contained panic behind his plastron. His glazed over eyes darted to Leo who was doing the same. It was said out-loud but Mikey knew Leo would always catch him, and now, thinking back to the way he had accepted his fate in the blink of an eye, he felt stupid. A long, silent stare was held between the two, filled with understanding and brotherly love that was incommunicable and fresh until both let out a raspy, abrupt laugh that was filled with relief, mad grins on their faces as their two other brothers stared on in thick confusion.


	4. Pass The Baton

**Pass The Baton** \- Since his older brothers have no interest in returning to their senses, the baton is passed to Donnie

Donatello had visibly jumped when the ear-splitting sound of his brother's plastrons colliding had shaken the lair. Mikey had looked on with growing horror as Leonardo and Raphael barrelled across the floor, snarling and snapping wordlessly. They were locked on, eyes glowing fiercely, teeth bared, muscles coiled, and nothing seemed to be able to get in their way, not even the television which was practically flattened under Leonardo as Raph propelled them sideways and into the pit.

They'd heard the echoes of the argument washing over the walls before they had seen it. The words could not have been made out, but the raw fierceness behind them was apparent and Donnie had mentally prepared himself for the torrent of rage that was about to befall them.

The purple clad turtle was shaken from his thoughts as Raphael was suddenly tossed into the bench, a horrible, sickening 'crunch' snapping outward from his carapace. His arms trembled, Mikey was about to move, to intercept the hands that were slowly reaching for the pair of sai's strapped to Raph's belt. Donatello's eyes were locked onto Leonardo whose gaze was like burning ice.

"…Mikey, No!" Donatello all but roared as he outstretched his hands in warning as his youngest brother was about to step into the middle of a minefield. Mikey looked hesitant, but stilled, looking on with wide eyes.

Since his two older brothers weren't taking the responsibility to regain their senses, the baton was passed to Donatello.

Donnie unsheathed his Bo, eyes narrowed, nictitating eye-lids in place instead of the usual warm, copper brown. He twirled the wooden staff in his grip before springing into the air in a single fluid motion. He landed squarely between his brothers.

He took out Raphael first, jabbing the end of his Bo into his plastron, knocking him off balance before rounding on Leo and batting the katana in his hand to the side. Donatello's movement was hard to follow but the next thing Mikey knew was that his two eldest brothers were on their shells, staring with only the faintest trails of fury as Donatello unleashed "ENOUGH!" in an un-tethered volume so loud that it shattered the air. If it wasn't enough, he cracked the end of his staff against the cold concrete, sending shudders up all of their spines.

Mikey gaped like a goldfish.

After what seemed like a suffocating period of silence, Raphael got up, sheathed his Sais with fists balled at his sides and began to stalk away until – without looking- Donatello snagged him by the carapace, gritting out a "We are not done here" from behind clenched teeth. Raph opened his mouth to argue, his face flushed but ended up choking on unsaid words.

Donatello whipped his head round to Leonardo, Mikey was surprised that the crack of a whip didn't sound at the same time as his brother's movements. "And you…" He growled. "Will be explaining to Splinter why he will be unable to broadcast his stories for the next two weeks while Raphael and I scavenge a new Television"

Leonardo looked away and nodded, licking his lips and bowing his head in shame. He then grabbed both of them by the tails of their bandanna's. "The next time I see you go at each-other with your weapons, I will be sure to tell Sensei every. Single. Detail. Do I make myself clear?"

Mikey was stifling giggles with his fist in his mouth, teeth chattering against his knuckles. His glimmer of amusement only grew worse as both his eldest brothers nodded stiffly. Donnie nodded and let them go, eyes still narrowed.

"Sorry Don…" Leo gave his brother a sheepish grin, when it wasn't returned the blue banded turtle jabbed a thumb over his shoulder towards the bedrooms and walked in that direction. Raphael grunted something inaudible but gave an apologetic, side-long glance as he stalked away.

Donnie sheathed his bo, Michelangelo burst into a fit of giggles and headed to the kitchen, gasping out something about needing a camera next time.

Donnie shook his head, letting his sternness wash away. Before…

"Well done my son"

Donatello nearly jumped out of his shell with a "Eek!" as Master Splinter revealed himself from his place among the shadows, a smile of amusement on his features. "S-Sensei?" Donnie choked out and then coughed, straightening up. The rat master stepped forward, his multi-coloured fur glistening slightly in the half-light. His eyes knowing and ever so slightly mischievous and proud.

Splinter shook his head and stepped forward. "I shall not reveal my presence in this situation to your brothers" He reassured. "However, may I suggest pressure points next time" He smiled and began to walk away, grinning ever so slightly.

Donatello stood petrified on the spot. He had his mouth open to reply but merely turned and went to see what sort of destruction was unfolding in the kitchen where he last seen his only younger brother.


	5. Reach

**Reach** _\- Mikey really shouldn't stick pizza slices to the ceiling. Donnie shouldn't be used as a ladder and Raph... well Raph has a habit of misplacing his Sai's every now and then.._

"Ow! Mikey that's my face!" Donnie screeched as his youngest brother balanced on his forehead, toes pressing uncomfortably against his snout. If Mikey had even heard his brother, he didn't show it as his fingertips reached ever higher for the slice of pizza that was welded to the ceiling. "I swear to the love of shell…" Donatello grumbled to himself as the nape of his neck dug into the edge of his carapace. Mikey stuck his tongue out, eyes glued to the jelly bean, mozzarella, marshmallow and pineapple pizza slice that was so lovingly calling his name. Donatello felt his legs tremble and forced his knees to remain still, until…

" _What ta' shell are you two doing?"_

Donnie squeaked, Mikey slipped, fingertips only brushing the crust of his less than appetising prize. A strangled squawk escaped the orange clad turtle as his foot slipped, Donatello gasped and looked up just in time to see Mikey's shell filling his vision. "Oh no…" He whimpered.

Raphael grinned as his two younger brothers fell into a tangle of limbs. At some point, he was sure he spotted Mikey's left finger slip accidentally up his brainy brothers right nostril, the latter let out a cry of disgust, shoving his brother off of him and finally managing to claw his way out of his predicament. Mikey, still dazed from his head connecting with the floor, lay there a few seconds more, groaning as he rubbed his temples.

"Knocking, Raph. It's called _Knocking_!" Donatello tersely hissed as he rubbed his throbbing elbow.

"Actually, the door was open genius" Raphael rolled his eyes and gestured to Mikey's open doorway in which he leaned against with crossed arms. "Answer the question" Raph said bluntly.

"Sensei said my room smelled!" Mikey dramatically threw his hands in the air from lying on the floor. Seemingly haven recovered from his daze, he continued "And then he was like; _Michelangelo, hygiene must be put in place to secure your awesomeness-ness…_ " he suddenly sprung up, pointing a haughty finger skyward.

"That's not a word" Donnie cut as he dragged a hand over his face.

"So, then I cleaned it, and now Donnie's helping cause' I made him. And now we're trying to get that…" he gestured to the slice of stale pizza on the ceiling

"Which is disgusting…" Donnie grumbled.

"…Which is delicious, and a total work of art dude, you just don't appreciate it" Mikey retorted.

"I'd appreciate it if it actually tasted like something remotely edible" Donnie murmured.

"I don't think I'd even appreciate it then to be honest" Raph murmured back to his purple banded brother.

"You just have underdeveloped taste buds, dudes" Mikey waved their words away.

"Whatever…" Raph shook his head. "Sensei has a spare ladder in the basement. Ya' can use that instead of Donnie. His face is already stinkin' of your gross fungus feet" Raph said from over his shoulder.

Donnie grumbled and glared at Mikey.

"The basement!" Mikey squeaked.

"Oh please, you're not still scared of goin' down there. Your sixteen for shell sake" Raph growled.

"I wouldn't be scared if _someone_ hadn't locked me down there for hours!" Mikey shot back.

"The lock broke" Raph put up his hands.

"Yeah, because someone stabbed a Sai into it!"

"Still a mystery how that got there" Donnie muttered.

"It shall never be solved" Raph shook his head sadly.

"It doesn't need to be solved!" Mikey yelled. "It was him…!" he jabbed a finger at Raphael.

"He's quite troubled, isn't he?" Donnie patted Mikey's head in mock sympathy.

"Accusing your own family, I'm hurt" Raph rolled his eyes with a sigh.

"No. you're not hurt. Because you did it, if you didn't then you'd be hurt, but you did so you're not!" Mikey babbled loudly and angrily, puffing his cheeks.

"Well now he's not even making sense" Raph crossed his arms, humming and stroking his chin as he eyed his little brother with intrigue that matched a stumped professor in a university.

"He made sense?" Donnie gasped loudly. "When…!?"

" _Fine_ I'm going!" Mikey yelled, stalking past them. Raph and Donnie watched him go with twin grins as Mikey headed off down the hall.

…Raphael then proceeded to unsheathe one of his sai's from his belt.


	6. Pup Sitters

**Pup Sitters** _\- Mikey's not a dog turtle and his brothers cant help him with this, Luckily Casey has it covered._

Casey knew that the wind was ripping tears from the corner of his eyes. He knew that the below-freezing temperatures would make his toes curl in his thick leather boots and his teeth clatter in his jaw, and that all of this combined with the lack of a proper coat would probably mean he'd get sick before the week was done. But Casey also knew that a quiet, worried Michelangelo who was borderline frantic was a Michelangelo who was deadly serious.

And if the little green gremlin wasn't serious, well… let's just say that a bucket filled with freezing water would mysteriously empty itself into the back of Mikey's shell.

So here Casey was, with a flashlight, feeling miserable about life and travelling through the less than welcoming city sewers towards an abandoned station. His charcoal-brown eyes squinted at the blinking orange dot on the map displayed brightly on his phone, the contrast between the led screen and the surrounding gloom caused his pupils to shrink and his eyes to sting, but still he kept going.

He heard Mikey before he saw him.

"No, no, no little dudes, you gotta' stay in the box…" He was talking with a worried tone in his unusually hushed voice. Casey frowned and put his phone away, shoving it into his jean pocket which had more holes in it than he could count. the tunnel opened up into a slightly brighter chamber which he soon realised was the station judging by the half-crumbling platform and old tracks stacked in the faraway corner.

Mikey, in all his green and orange glory, was sitting with a box in his lap and a frown on his face which instantly slipped away into relief as he spotted Casey hauling himself up onto the platform.

"Case, what t-took you so long?!" Mikey exclaimed sourly, shivering with a raggedy old blanket draped over him, but not without a shimmer in his eye that told Casey that he really was glad he was here and this wasn't a wasted journey.

"Calm your shell, I was only half an hour" Casey grumbled, getting to his feet before slipping on a discarded, rusted old can and stumbling forward. He looked with bitter contempt down at the offending item. When he looked back, he noticed the wide pair of inky black eyes looking out from a fuzzy face with a grey nose, and the grumpy façade melted away.

Puppies. Mikey had found Puppies.

"Aww dude!" Casey got to his knees and peered into the box, sleepy, malnourished puppies stared back, some didn't look so well, their eyes clogged and noses dripping. Some tails wagged and noses sniffed and before the teen knew it, he was holding some sort of black and brown fuzzy pup to his chest.

"I don't know what to do, they're sick and Donnie only has human medi… m-medic" Mikey tried to sound the word through clattering teeth.

"Medicine" Casey finished for him. Frowning as he felt ribs under the fur. "Did ya find them here?"

"Nah dude, found them topside in a back-alley. Brought them down here but then I… I don't think the guys will be too pleased with me bringing them home. And again… Dee can't help them and I only know a bit about cats…" Mikey's voice was stressed. Casey rubbed his hand playfully and reassuringly over Mikey's head, messing with his mask as a light smirk got to his face.

"Having a rough day?" He asked. He knew that Mikey's brothers, his best friend Raph included, could be major downers and especially snippy when ticked off.

"Yeah…" Mikey sighed with a telling half-smile. He was tired, Casey could see it. He didn't say anything else about it, only put the pup that he held back with its siblings – who it snuffled for a moment first before curling up next to them - and adjusted them so that they weren't squishing each-other. Mikey watched, one or twice he would scratch under their chins. He then frowned.

"Assholes must've left em' to die quicker in the cold…" He snarled quietly, careful not to aim his aggression towards Mikey who still wasn't quite acting like his hyperactive self. "Come on then" He stood up, handed Mikey a few of the coldest pups, who he held as if glass, before bundling them up alongside him in the blanket as if reading Casey's mind. Casey took off his hoodie and placed it in with the others before picking up the box.

Mikey padded after him. "Where to?" Mikey asked in a chirp. "The vet?"

Casey shook his head. "Nah, they aren't open right now. House is empty so we'll take em' to mines" Casey said, looking down with a smile to the sleeping pups. He noted that they should be much more active and would make sure to check them all out individually later.

"You mean it?!" Mikey exclaimed like he'd just been granted all the pizza's he could ever want. Casey smirked.

"Course' I mean it. Look at em' they're adorable" Casey laughed. "Seriously dude, gotta have a little faith in Casey Jones" He shot Mikey a wink. He turned his attention back down to the slightly soggy card-board box. "I'll take them to the vets first thing, think you could help me out with the care afterwards?" He asked.

"You serious?" Mikey gaped. "What If I mess up?"

"Nah dude, these little puppers' are simple, even simpler than cats if ya ask me" Casey reassured him, he knew that when it came to animals, Mikey wouldn't mess up.

The trip to Casey's apartment was long, but not as long as it would have been dragging themselves back to the Lair. With a struggle getting out of the sewers and a little bit of an accident with un-toilet trained puppies, both teens had finally made it. Soaking wet… and freezing. But with alive puppies which to them, was all that mattered.

Said puppies were now all out of the soggy cardboard box and in a make-shift basket made from a large storage box, some blankets and a towel. Casey asked one of the neighbours for some dog food which he and Mikey, who was now bundled up in a quilt, introduced to the pups slowly as to not sicken them further, a tip Casey remembered when he once helped out with his aunties pups that her dog had had.

Now stepping out of the shower. Casey winced as he took in the dark circles under his eyes. He grumbled inaudibly at his reflection, which he normally didn't really care about except for when he looked like a mutant panda, before towel drying his hair until it stuck out in every which-where direction.

Shoving on some old joggies and a shirt with some holes in it. The lanky teen shuffled to the kitchen and began to boil the kettle, craving his fix of caffeine. Glancing at the beaten up, old ovens timer, he had to do a double take. It was three in the morning. No wonder he was tired.

Poking his head through the doorway, about to ask Mikey if he wanted something to drink before he headed back out, he froze.

Said turtle was collapsed on the couch, arms cradling one or two snoozing pups while the others either remained in the basket or had managed to climb up onto his plastron. He snored obnoxiously loud but the little 'puppers' as Casey had dubbed them, didn't seem to mind.

Knowing that waking him up and shoving him out wasn't an option, he sighed and picked up his cell. Fingers flying over the key pad as he brought up Raphael's contact.

' _Mikey's stayin' over at mines. Dog and weather trouble, see ya 2morrow'_

Grunting, he sent the message off. Eyes droopy and limbs heavy, he abandoned the boiled kettle to cool down again and flopped down on the next couch over, barely aware of the sensation of one of the pups nestling into the small of his back before he was out like a light.


	7. Similarities

**Similarities** _\- Raphael feels regret whenever his genius brother smiles and reflects on his own fears... and the similarities to the one he hates._

It had ebbed over the years. Retreated to the faintest corners of his mind. But it was pulled from the depths of his memories as soon as his brother smiled, smirked or laughed. And then the regret would seep into his emotions and he would hide it, be it with a cough, an insult or a gruff roll of his emerald eyes. But it never went away. Not really. And whenever his genius brother would show his teeth, Raphael would grimace.

That gap in his brothers smile was caused by him. It was an accident of course, but when Raphael thought about it, he could have stopped his skateboard from smashing against his brother's head, but he didn't, he only smirked and waited for the cries to roar. In his young mind, he hadn't cared, Donnie had ripped his magazine so Donnie was going to get what was coming.

But Raph never meant for Donnie's tooth to rip through his lip. Never meant for the cries to turn into a scream of pain, never meant for him to be permanently scarred.

He remembered the trip home as he dragged his brother by the wrist after him, his face filled with blubbering tears and murmured, frantic apologies as Donnie's eyes blinked blindly with pain. Leo, even in his youth had turned an accused glare on the small, red-banded turtle. Mikey had only cried out in alarm at the sight of his brother's blood dripping from his mouth.

It was after the ordeal, when Donnie had fallen asleep in what would be his future lab, that Splinter had addressed Raphael. It had been the first time that Raphael had seen true anger in his father's eyes. It had made him start to protest, but the protest had died in his throat and he settled for looking to his feet instead as they shuffled nervously.

It took a small while, But Donnie healed quickly. At first, he hid his mouth with a scarf that Leo tried to pry off him in a plea of confidence for his brother's appearance. In the end, Donnie became fine with his missing tooth, after watching their first ice-hockey match, Donnie had discovered that it was considered a 'battle-scar' of sorts. After that all nerves towards his missing tooth disappeared completely.

And then that left Raphael. He'd heard the stories of Oruku Saki, of what he done to his brothers. And In the wake of his brothers pointed glares and his father's disappointment, Raph felt the sudden similarities between him and the shredder start to stitch together.

Nightmare after Nightmare. All over a stupid tooth. All over his stupid impulsive anger.

But, of all things, it had been Shredder to soothe his mind.

Face to face with the metal-clad ninjitsu master, Raphael found them to be nothing alike. The Shredders speech was filled with maddening hate that was more of a sickness than a strength, his very posture radiated a lurking disease, an unhealthy fixation. He had realised that his own anger was built on reason than just thin air. That this man was fuelled on madness. He had quickly found some small slither of comfort.

And then Donnie smiled. And Raphael only saw his brother, not one of his angers victims.


	8. Death

**Death** _\- They don't speak about Pigeon Pete. They don't speak about it because they know its their fault._ _WARNING: HINTS OF GORE, DEATH AND BLOOD. reviews are most appreciated!_

The air was thick with the scent of the dying. The moon was shrouded by the ever-hanging clouds and a strong rush of winter air ripped tears from the corners of their eyes. Leatherhead, his shoulders broad and squared, felt the sickly stench of blood filter through his nostrils. Beside him Slash had a telling glint in his eye, his jaw had been firmly clamped shut, his breathing irregular and his overall posture radiating a tense calm before the storm.

An instinct had drawn them here, only spurred on by the sounds of a struggle. The raw, inhumane sounds of something being slaughtered soon arose amongst the wind in blood-curdling splutters and shrieks that neither formed words nor screams. It was the sound of an animalistic frenzy, the struggle before death dragged a creature by its claws down into the depths of decay.

The sounds had long since ceased when they arrived.

Leatherhead felt the sticky cold red under his feet and his head snapped down. A cold, sharp sensation crawled over his scales. His throat rumbled quietly as his eyes grew more wide and searching. "Slash" He whispered, looking over his shoulder only to see the large turtle with his head angled down towards the concrete as he kneeled, examining it. Deep gashes had been torn into the concrete, his friend rubbed his fingertips over the deep grooves, glaring ferociously as if willing them to disappear under his gaze. Leatherhead walked forward, trying to muffle his heavy steps as best he could. In the corner of his eye, a crimson tipped feather was stirred up in the breeze.

He growled, catching his comrade's attention. Slash stood up and tracked his gaze with angry acceptance, he knew the signs of a successful massacre. Underneath the water-tower, amongst the half-rotten wooden beams, was an almost indistinguishable lump of flesh and bone. A twisted shape of a splintered beak was protruding grotesquely from the tangle of meat that was once their friends head. Feathers had been stripped and chewed, and eyes were missing from what could have once been considered their sockets.

Dead. Pete was dead.

Blinking back a torrent of emotion and rage, Slash sharply looked away.

Leatherhead remained silent, his jaw squared. His tense posture was suddenly twisted into rage as the massive alligator mutant swung his arm round in a wide arc and buried his fist into the brick wall next to him, mortar and stone flew from where his knuckles connected. A few betraying tears leached from Slashes reptilian eyes.

"W-We have to destroy all traces…" Slash quietly announced. His words almost lost to the wind. "Otherwise the smell…" Slash didn't need to finish, Leatherhead knew what he meant.

Leatherhead screwed his eyes shut, nausea gripping his stomach and throat like a vice. He swallowed and nodded, biting back the rage that clung to his scales like a limpet to a rock on the shore.

"Leatherhead" Slash said his name with a newfound fear of the alligator.

"No. This is our fault. Our friend is dead" with that the alligator turned and stalked away, the phone in his hand cracked from the vice like grip in which he held it with.

And Slash looked away. The words sinking in. It had been there fault, they'd let him out of their sights foolishly when they knew he was all but useless in a fight, something which sought them out regularly. They had, after all, announced their opposition to the shredder quite plainly.

In the distance, he could hear the conversation on the phone. And within half an hour, Rockwell had arrived. He seemed un-phased and almost uncaring as the gasoline was poured over the roof. But they both seen the sheen in his eyes, the way his levitation was jittery and sloppy as he manoeuvred the barrels of the flammable substance.

The building was abandoned. And so, the flames were ignited.

Rockwell said nothing. Leatherhead watched as the scene was engulfed in a fire that reflected his thoughts, Slash done the same. The ashes sprinkled the air like snow as the water-tower became embers and the roof became dust.

In the distance a lupine, twisted figure grinned from a mouth made of exposed bone, his eyes as fiery and wild as the flames.


	9. Never

**Never** \- Michelangelo's joy shall never die.

* * *

Mikey looked around the vast polar landscape around him, the sun bouncing off the ice caps and reflecting off of his window-like eyes. His skin felt no chill in the air but instead a comfortable warmth spread over his scales. The sun that was sinking in the horizon stretched a line of bright coral pink over the landscape which melted away into the dark royal blue that arced over the sky, the northern lights swept overhead and he looked up, cyan eyes sparkling at the giant, cosmic manta rays that danced around the wisps of blue and green.

A trance of peace swept over him as he seen his brothers made from the aurora borealis above him, smiling warmly down at him. Leonardo wielding his katana will practiced skill, his movements as fluid as the aurora that portrayed him. His azure mask was ablaze in the sky, his eyes a warm, comforting white that promised hope. The snow in the ice valley below him suddenly kicked up into the shape of his strongest brother. He watched with awe as Raphael's form, made from glittery white, stood in adversity to the strong gusts of the arctic wind, twirling his Sai's of ice with his signature smirk as his mask blared crimson so bright and warm that some would mistake it for a wildfire if it were not for its distinct shape. The stoic representation was accurate of the ways of his cardinal-clad brother.

Mikey turned to the sunrise again as it seemed to grow brighter, however the warmth didn't blind him and he staggered back as Donatello's form leaped out of the burning orb to twirl his staff in the air before bringing it round in a wide arc that chased the night away as it spread a warm glow. Currents of light stemming from the tip of his Bo, didn't obscure the stars above but gave them a new curtain of colour in which they could dot.

The scene shifted, not violently and Mikey watched as the ice and snow gave way to vast canopies of emerald green, above him, Master splinter smiled kindly down to him from his place atop a skyward reaching branch, his emerald staff in his hand and a katana in his other as he swept his arm to gesture to the luscious landscape. A colourful scattering of a flock of birds made Mikey's eyes grow wide. He had always wanted to see a jungle, Donnie had once given him a book on the amazon, he wondered if they would ever get to go. Deep down his dreams had been dashed by their responsibility to their city, but Donnie and Leo tried to keep his hopes up nonetheless.

The glittering green leaves shifted and were suddenly a display of emerald butterflies that swept around him, spinning him to look up at the stars in the now dark sky, spotted like white paint flecks on a canvass made of ink. He reached up, the idea seemingly silly to him until one of those stars sat warmly in his palm, illuminating him as it spun softly in his hand. He smiled down at it, holding it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. To him, right now, it was…

* * *

Splinter contained tears of growing grief as his barely breathing son rested his head in his lap. Mikey's beautiful face was slick with blood on one side, his eye slashed and glistening with crimson. The rat sensei had one of his hands delicately placed on either side of his child's head. His other children needed him too, but in Michelangelo's dying hours, he refused to abandon him. The images he and Michelangelo's subconscious painted in the young turtle's mind were the least he could do for him. He wished his son to be at peace, to not see the distressing scenes unfolding around him.

Donatello, the most empathetic of his sons, held Raphael as the latter sobbed with unrestrained grief, broken at the sight of his little brother, his little brother who was dying. The crimson-clad turtle bore fat tears of sorrow and rage as his form shook with all the might of an earthquake.

Leonardo was silent, a hand rested limply on Donatello's stiff shoulders. His eldest sons eyes were hooded and without shine, his skin pale around his face where bruises still told the story of their latest battle.

His purple-clad son held rage in his features so strong that Splinter could feel it linger in the air, could feel his spirit recoil from it as if it bore a stench of sickness. The brown eyes were dark, much like his eldest brothers, but his expression was as hard and smooth as marble and this silently terrified the rat master.

Splinter looked down at the horrendous injuries that were inflicted on his son, injuries too brutal and monstrous to describe. His son, his most innocent, joyful son had been butchered. But his light wasn't stripped away, Splinter would never allow his spirit, his love for everything to be marred by his death. Michelangelo would never ever allow it, never, he would be outraged by such a crime.

With a start, he realised that Mikey's presence had slipped away softly. His clawed hands trembled and a sob broke from his chest as he cradled his sons head, chestnut eyes leaching tears so fat and ugly that he could not contain them. But something settled in his mind, amidst the storm of anguish and rage, he only now realised what Donatello's presence really was.

Fury-forged resolution to never let his brothers spirit die. Even if his body did so.

As if sensing his father's realisation, Donatello turned, he glanced with a choked intake of air at Mikey's finally still body then looked up to his father, his eyes determined and glossy, a shaky nod was shared between the two.

They would honour Michelangelo, they would not let this tear their family apart. Mikey wouldn't allow it. Never.


	10. Turtle Day

**Turtle Day**

April walked into the lair with sore shoulders and an extremely heavy bag. She was expecting to see her extended family scattered around. Donnie in his lab either creating billowing smoke, Raphael either in his room or torturing his muscles on that training dummy, Mikey in the kitchen or lounge pit, and Leo either in the dojo or glued to a new episode of Space Heroes.

She was not expecting them to all to be around one of the many pools in the lair.

It was exceptionally hot down here in the summer, even with no access to direct sunlight, the heated metal pipes and grates were enough to heat the lair. Mikey seemed to be taking full advantage of the warmth, flat out on his shell in the water, floating without a care in the world as he hummed something loudly. April tried not to roll her eyes as she spotted the half-eaten sandwich laid out on his plastron. Leo was sitting by the edge of the pool, lying on his front underneath a giant… was that a basking light? She'd ask Donnie later. Speaking of the purple clad turtle, she wasn't surprised to see him half out of the water with his elbows propped up on the sides reading a book.

Dropping her bag, she shot them an easy grin. "We having a pool-party or something?"

Leo shot his head up from his crossed arms and shot her smile. "Hey April" She gave a wave as she strode over. Donnie flashed her his signature grin and blush as he put the book down. He opened his mouth to speak when Mikey interrupted with a lazy "Its turtle day" as he pointed one arm into the air, his eyes still closed as he floated with ease on the water's surface.

"Turtle day?" She sat down next to where Donnie was propped up reading his book, a sceptical raise of her eyebrow indicated her confusion.

"Turtle day. It's when we embrace the more reptilian side of our mutation" Donnie supplied helpfully. "Basking, swimming… it helps keep us healthy" He counted off on his fingers.

"I take it Raph doesn't take part?" She turned her attention to Leo as she asked the question.

"He's sulking" Mikey said between chewing his sandwich.

"He's going to have to come up for air soon, hours almost up" Donnie observed, glancing at the clock on the far away wall as it hung precariously from a red piece of thread and a rusted old nail.

"You mean he's…?" April pointed down into the water, no sooner than the words left her mouth a green face suddenly gasped for air loudly just in front of her, the sudden movement sending water splashing out of the pool and onto Aprils feet. She skidded back in surprise, letting out a strangled 'Eek!' as she did.

Raph's face was still half in the water when he spotted April, his eyes widened. Then he bobbed further up. "Hey, how come nobody told me April was coming over for turtle day" He smiled ever so slightly, kicking his legs back so he floated on his shell.

"Hey, I didn't even know what this turtle thing was until about thirty seconds ago" She smirked.

"You done with your little sulk, then?" Leo grinned down.

Raph narrowed his eyes.

"Hot-shot here broke his basking lamp" Leo turned his attention to April, who sniggered.

"It's not broken, just a little… dented" Raph shrugged in the water. April noted that the red-clad turtle must have been in a good mood today since he wasn't taking Leo's bait for argument.

"I was not involved" Mikey said, pulling himself up onto the edge. He seemed proud by his statement. "Turtle promise!" He said as he shook his head much like a wet dog would to rid himself of water.

"Mikey!" Donnie swam backwards out of the way, holding his book up in the air to avoid the pages being soaked.

"So… is turtle day like an annual thing or what?" She asked, directing the question at Leo.

"Monthly in the summer, every two months in the winter" The blue-clad mutant replied with a shrug. April tried to ignore the fact that Mikey was slowly sneaking up on him, eyes narrowed. Lee caught the hand that tried to pull him into the water. Mikey frowned, eyes wide and pointed finger accusing as he slowly sunk beneath the water.

"Poseidon-san calls you Leo… you can't hide from the water forever bruh…." Mikey wiggled his eye-brows. Leo looked unamused for a second before smirking. As Mikey's face finally submerged, Leo sprung off the edge on top of him. A splash of water suddenly cascaded over all of them. Donnie futilely shrieked as he attempted to throw his book safely out of the way, said book only hit Raph as he attempted to leap out of the range of jumbling limbs. Donnie, too preoccupied with his book, was entangled in Mikey's desperately thrashing arms as he screamed about the wrath of karma.

April sighed and went to find a towel.


	11. Home

**Home** : _WARNING, SPOILERS FOR NEW EPISODE!_ Alopex is struggling with what to do next.

I sat awake, breathing hard, ears flat against my head and sweat soaking through parts of my fur. Tears laced the space under my eyes and I absently wiped them away with the back of my hand. The room was dark and damp and honestly, I didn't want to know if that was mould or a spider web in the corner of the ceiling. As I became more aware and the last of sleeps tendrils left me, I noticed that my claws were dug into the mattress, puncturing the thick material. I gingerly unhooked them.

A long sigh burst from my lips and I glanced side-long out the rickety, old windows that lined the small derelict hotel room I had occupied for the night. Rain-drops lined the glass, dripping vacantly and obscuring the city-scape beyond. Occasional flashes of orange and black sheared my vision and I done my best to ignore it. It was when I saw the arm. My brothers arm, draped over my armour in the corner of the room and spitting red did I recoil and let out a shrill shriek. I clamped my hands over my mouth as tears dripped over my hands like rivers from my eyes. When I blinked them away, I was met with just my armour.

A dagger had found its way into my hand and I threw it aside with disgust at myself. My brother had made me killer, and I had let him.

My memories flashed back to the hours before, as I stood over him, blade dripping and eyes narrowed. I had left, left him there to cradle the bone and flesh that was now the stump of his arm. I had stopped by the docks in my search to find refuge, and as my feet had thudded over the slick wooden surface of the pier, I had stopped. In the sudden clearance of my thoughts, I stripped the tail from around my waist. Snarled at it as if I were staring my brother in the face, and threw it to the waves, letting it go. The cold had washed over my snout, brushed my tail to the side and rustled the folds in my clothes. I glanced up at the stars, and dared them to tell me that what I'd done to my brother was wrong.

If only the memories would vanish so easy.

I managed to get my breathing back to normal, my tail flicked in agitation but I ignored its movements. Instead I lay back down, turning over my tear-stained pillow and letting my head fall back. Now was the emptiness of what to do next. I wanted to go back to the comfort of Asia, to our home, to my home. Back to the towns bordering forests endowed with flora and fauna and the grassy fields. The markets filled with spices that were so vibrant and varied that even professional chefs would be overwhelmed.

I let my tail curl around me, shield me from the world of hatred and violence. And I cried myself to sleep…

If only going back home was so simple.


	12. The Day The World Came Tumbling Down

**The day the world came tumbling down**

 **WARNING, SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF TMNT 2K12**

Leonardo remembered the sudden cold feeling creeping up his shell, the horrible tingling shaking his head. They turned on the rooftop, rising screams and yells from the city below making their skin crawl. Mikey and Donnie gazed up into the sky, and Leo whirled to follow their pale-faced gazes. The massive machine was huge, as big as a two-story building, it hung high in the atmosphere, slowly descending, casting a deep shadow that brought with it a cold chill.

Something familiar curled around in his mind, dread. He felt it the same night Hamato Yoshi had been thrown from a roof, the night he had died. And then Donnie was infront of them, trembling as his mechanical mind, his brilliant thinking machine scanned the device.

His brother had turned to face them with the most maddening look on his face, his skin pale. "IT'S A BOMB!" He had screamed.

Leo's world crashed. A bomb that big? From out in the vast space? where technology was so advanced that Donnie was only on the fringes of understanding it? It would kill them all.

"Leo, LEO WE HAVE TO GO!" Raphael's loud snarl echoed numbly in his head. "You heard him, MOVE!" hands were pushing his plastron.

He turned his head from the machine, finding himself running in a sprint, his legs moving as fast as he'd seen them. Next to him, Raph was running alongside him, his eyes wide and his hand clamped on Leo's shell to keep him moving.

Something was in-front of them, no _someone_. Leo's mind reeled and he struggled to keep it together. Donnie was in-front of them, but he was doing something and Mikey was… Mikey was putting _something_ onto the back of his brother's head, a metal plate of sorts. Michelangelo's deft hands were thumbing over the wires, hooking them to his brother's neck as Donnnie shouted orders. The orange banded brother's eyes were wide, filled with tears as he struggled to keep up with the purple banded turtles frantic blabbering. "If I can wire myself to metal-head…!" he could faintly make out the details of Dons plan, but his mind was a numb mess.

They were going to die.

The world righted itself, his mind quietened and he turned, eyes narrowing on the floating device coming ever closer, its size growing as it did. The air-pressure popped in their ears and from the horrified look on Donatello's face he realised it was about to go off. Donnie's face only made that horrific expression when something horrendous was going to happen, and Leo trusted his brother's intuition when it came to mechanical devices.

He skidded to a halt before they could leap the next building. Being of one mind in these situations, his brothers done the same, yelling for him to keep running. But his eyes were locked onto the pulsing lights, the sudden deafening sound the device was producing, the brightening glow on every crevice of the machine. Tears filled his eyes. Sensei was gone, it was _his_ turn to protect his brothers now.

He turned, staring down at the alley below, it had works going down into the sewers. He glanced at his brothers, all shouting at him, all frantic, even Raph's eyes were beginning to widen in his frenzied state. He glanced back down at the hole into the sewers. There was a reason they were below the city, they were tough, they could keep it standing. Perhaps it could keep his brothers standing to.

A wave of green erupted behind him, he felt heat on his shell. He turned to his brothers gathered in-front of them, looked them in the eye.

"I love you" He said in a scream so they would hear. The city erupted in screams, agonised screams. The air popped, and he threw his brothers off the building in one fluid movement of his arms. He felt the tears wildly spring out of his eyes as he did, not knowing if he was sending them to their death. Watching as Raph's eyes widened in horror, his hands still outstretched as he plummeted off the rim of the roof. Mikey's mouth screaming their fathers name in fear. Donnie who suddenly pressed a button on his fore-arm, his eyes locked onto Leo with something resembling determination and fear. Grief, it was grief he realised as tears sprung out of his brother's eyes.

He turned at the sound of breaking stone and screams. He found himself greeted with blinding light, burning air. The humans on the street screamed in gurgles of pained desperation. Buildings broke before him, the one he stood on trembled. And he watched skyscrapers ripped from the ground and he closed his eyes.

He shut out the pain. Shut out the screams. His own screams as his body twisted. He watched the high-rise below him break, topple over the sewers where rubble had already sealed its entrance.

And it was the end. He knew as he felt himself slip. And he hoped, he hoped that what he had done had been enough.


	13. Nail Polish, Shell Polish

Nail Polish? _\- Mikey finds out about the vast world of nail-polish. Raphael is confused._

 _Just a short stupid drabble, enjoy!_

* * *

April sat idly on the couch of the lair, fingers flying across the keyboard of Donatello's rusted laptop, humming idly to a song that streamed into her ears through the headphones. She scanned through the endless articles, opal eyes searching for any mention of green scales, ninja masks or otherwise anything relating to her adopted family. Turns out Ninja Turtles attract a lot of conspiracy theories that are somewhat dangerous, especially if they include photos or locations. And while the boys were usually extremely cautious, they did occasionally become paparazzi bait. So far she had – with help from Donnie's teachings – scrubbed the internet of a blur of Mikey on fifth avenue, Raph's shell from a sewer maintenance camera, and a short clip of Leo vaulting a venting system near TCRI.

She grumbled a huff, finding nothing worth her time. However, she found herself jumping back as a sudden large hand took hers. The laptop was catapulted into the air and she yelled out in alarm, managing to lunge forward and catch it before it hit the ground. Blowing out a puff of air she had held in her cheeks, she turned and shot the offending terrapin a glare.

Michelangelo missed the gaze entirely, his eyes locked onto the red-heads fingertips which he held out to look at. He seemed concerned and when April studied his face, genuinely worried.

"Why are your nails green?" Mikey asked in a small fearful noise. "We didn't do that… did we?" He squeaked, eyes turning as wide as open windows.

"What?" Aprils brow crinkled and she tracked his gaze before it suddenly dawned on her. Mikey's eyes were locked onto her fingernails, her recently painted fingernails. Somewhere in the back of her mind she laughed but the genuine apprehension on Mikey's face told her he was deadly serious.

"Oh Mikey… no its just paint, you didn't do that" She said, shooting him a reassuring smile as he turned her hand over and examined every inch of skin. His face relaxed, the tense lines around his mask fading as he let out a relieved sigh.

"Oh, I thought we'd contaminated yo-" His eyes widened and he cut off his own sentence with a new one "Paint?" he asked. "Like, paint-Paint? … why would you put paint on your nails?" He asked, once again in genuine curiosity, not a lick of judgement in his voice.

"Because it looks pretty cool, but I'm not very good at it" She said in a sheepish chuckle. "Lots of girls do it, sometimes even guys too if they want, not often though" she added, eyeing her nails cautiously as Mikey glanced at his own. There was a long pause as if Mikey had begun to contemplate his own existence.

April watched his face sink into thoughtfulness and smirked. Sometimes without realising it, Mikey was a lot like Donnie when it came to thoughtful pauses. She put the laptop aside, closing the lid carefully and slipping off the headphones, reaching behind her on the edge of the lounge pit to snag her bag. Mikey watched her rummage for a second until she brought out a small vial of nail polish.

"Look, this is what I done it with. It's like special paint for human nails" She said, shrugging him. "And you use special remover to get it off, or it just goes all weird and messy" she added.

Mikey's eyes lit up and he leaned closer, examining the bottle in her hand. He tilted his head to the side when regarding his next question. "Do you think it will work on turtle shells?" he asked, eyes wide and curious.

…

Raphael propped himself up on the counter, reaching for the bag of coal atop the shelf above him. Chompy pottered around on the counter below, contained by the flesh wall that was Raph's arm protecting the tiny alien turtle from the edge of the table. Snagging the bag in time to turn to see a flash of vibrant neon orange. eyes squinting as he found Mikey headed for the fridge. His emerald orbs narrowed in on his brother's shell and he promptly found himself gobsmacked at the massive silhouette of a cat face painted onto his shell like a massive target sign, buffed to a gleam and all glittery.

"What t' hell is on your shell?" Raph asked.

"April's super dope nail-polish, get with the times, bruh" Mikey waved him off with a roll of his eyes, reaching in for a can of soda before lightly kicking the fridge shut and stalking back out of the kitchen.

Raph found his gaze stuck on the curtains his brother had vanished from. "What's nail polish?" he asked himself, finding his questioning gaze turning to Chompy, eyes lost and confused in his skull.

* * *

AN - Reviews are the best thing in the world! Throw them at me!


	14. Tori

**Tori**

So this will be the last oc snippet I post here since you guys are probabl sick of it. This is a preview of a story I'm working on. I sometimes volunteer at a rescue center for animals and this story was inspired by a baby terrapin called Tori, who had a mishapen shell and needed care, Tori sadly passed away and I dunno but she kind of inspired me to make a character after her. This is a snippet from the story - its pretty sketchy and half-formed at the moment but I am working on it. Tori is quite a bit younger than the turtles and its set after the tmnt 2k12 series ends. (I've ignored mutant apocolypse as its canon that its not canon- if that makes sense)

Hope you guys enjoy and it would be awesome if you leave me a review 3

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Leonardo eyed the younger turtle with curious eyes from his spot at the kitchen doorway as she watched the TV, eyes wide and invested in the documentary program as she huddled underneath Mikey's winter hoodie, knees drawn to her chest. While his eyes were directed elsewhere, Leonardo's ears were directed completely to the conversation between his brothers.

"So you just _decided_ to bring her to the lair and have her live with us?" Raphael's tone was gruff, if not a bit sarcastic, but it wasn't hostile and Leo didn't bother reeling his brother back in line.

"Because it's _totally_ fair to let a kid get mutated with our DNA and just leave her to fend for herself. Yes Raph, I decided to take her with me" Mikey's voice was clipped and he sounded more like Raphael than he did himself. The red banded turtle was about to retort, but subsided under Donnie's warning, narrowed glare.

"So, you are _sure_ it was our DNA?" Donnie's voice was cautious as he softened his face to regard Michelangelo. Mikey's face flashed with irritation.

"Even if it wasn't…!" Mikey began to growl but stopped, sighed and massaged his temples. "Yeah guys, it was. they had a freaky collection of our DNA, labelled and everything in Japanese and I seen them use some of it on the mutagen before they doused her in it" He breathed out, sounding more himself than previously, the stress beginning to leach from his system.

At that Leo turned and regarded him, attention captured entirely. "What do you mean some of it?" He asked, eyes darting to Donnie and Raph who took on equally cautious expressions.

"Well they threw in different parts – I-I didn't get all of it because they talk pretty fast, but she was gonna be their way to fight us, so they put in the parts they needed. Most of it is Leo and Raph, they didn't use much of me and Don but they threw some of that in too" He said, taking a sip of the tea from the mug then scrunching his face at the flavour but uncharacteristically saying nothing.

"You mean they isolated our different molecular patterns?" Donnie's eyes were wide, shoulders slightly tense as his grip on his mug tightened.

Mikey regarded his brother carefully. "I don't know what that means but probably" Mikey shrugged.

"And most of the DNA is me and Raph?" Leo made no effort to hide his surprise.

"Dudes, have you looked at her?" Mikey made a face. Leo glanced back at the younger turtle seated in the lounge, and now he properly looked, she did have a lot more of their attributes. Sure, she was lean like Don, but she was also underfed on that account. Her eyes were very much shaped like his own, but without the azure irises, she'd inherited Raphael's darker scales, although hers were much darker than his red banded brothers, but the same undertone was there. His thoughts were torn back to his brother as Raphael countered Mikey with an annoyed tone.

"Not really considering the hood and jumper she wears" Raph retorted and Mikey visibly winced and put down the mug he was starting to drink.

"W-Well she kind of _needs_ clothes" Mikey stammered, looking a bit flustered.

"Why, we don't?" Raphael scoffed. "We have a shell, genius" He pointed at his plastron.

"Funny story, but Tori doesn't have a shell…" Mikey offered. At that Donnie stiffened, eyes wide.

"No shell?" Donnie's brows jumped. "what about a plastron?" He asked. Mikey tilted his head, regarding it.

"Kind of… it's like half-formed?" Mikey tried to explain. "That's why I got her the clothes, y'know like April wears clothes to protect her… stuff" His cheeks reddened as he scratched the back of his hand.

"Okay, yeah we get it" Raph cut him off and swept his hand through the air to emphasise the drop of the subject as Donnie tried to force down the reddening of his face, coughing as he did. "Why doesn't she have a shell?" he asked.

"Well that was why she was in the reject cell with me, cause they're mutagen didn't work properly" Mikey offered. "The shell didn't form properly which… is why we probably need you to have a look at her back" Mikey's eyes had widened in the middle of his sentence and he directed the last of it to Donnie who sat straighter.

"Why?" Donnie's face turned into its doctoring mode. "What's wrong with it?"

"Well… it doesn't happen often but she gets this horrible pain and it's like the shell underneath her skin is tryn' to push out and it looks pretty sore, dude" Mikey scratched the back of his neck. "Scared the shell outta' me the first time it happened" He added.

"Will she _let_ me look?" Donnie asked, raising his brow. Mikey was about to answer when a small knock on the doorway got their attention. They turned to see the smaller turtle regard them with wary eyes, her confidence crumbling a bit under their combined gazes. She hesitantly held up her hands to display Chompy with the TV remote clamped between his beak, a confused and wary expression on her face.

"Oh look" Mikey visibly brightened. "Tori found Chompy" He smirked and cast his eyes to Raph who sighed and took the magenta coloured fire turtle in his hands, prying the remote with strain from the aliens surprisingly strong beak, finally it was tugged free, and while dented, seemed to be fine as he handed it back to the younger turtle who continued to stare at the small little thing with curious eyes as she looked from the remote back to it.

"That's Raph's pet, Chompy" Leo supplied helpfully as Raph put Chompy down onto the table with a fond expression as he set down a leaf for the turtle to chew on.

"It.. breaths fire?" She squinted and their eyes widened a fraction at her rarely used voice. It seemed a little on the quiet side and for once her words weren't directed at Mikey but at Leo who seemed a little taken a-back, although was managing to hide it well.

"Mhmm" Leo nodded in conformation as a puff of smoke drifted from the fire turtles small nostrils.

Tori nodded and looked to Mikey and gestured back to the lounge, face pinched in askance. Mikey nodded. "Yeah sure thing, we'll be through with the bro talk in a bit" He winked at her and she glanced at Chompy one last time before she turned and went back to the lounge.

Leo turned his face to Donnie and Raph. "Hah, she spoke to me first" He said smugly, crossing his arms with a grin on his face. Donnie and Raph pinned him with twin, annoyed looks on their faces.


	15. Happy Halloween

Authors Note: I felt I had to do something quick for Halloween. So have this short little one shot. I won't be updating this for a while as my attention is currently on my new ficlet "Youngest First" – Please go check it out when you have the time since 2/5 chapters have now been posted.

As always, reviews are most welcome!

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Donatello moved quietly throughout the old apartment. The gloom masked his moon-lidded eyes, what little light there was bounced off the third lid of his eye like a mirror. The floorboard in-front of him creaked for only the fraction of a second before he moved his foot swiftly onward. His Bo was carefully tucked away on the back of his shell, the thick length of wood haven been freshly plated with metal on either end for more efficiency that he was keen to show his target. Behind him, Michelangelo disentangled himself from the shadow of the dark sky behind him, quietly slipping through the window, only to trip on the scuffed skirting board below it, causing a loud creak to obnoxiously sound through the apartment.

Donnie whirled, pinning the younger mutant with a glare which Mikey returned with a sheepish smile as he carefully closed the window with the soft scuff of glass sounding with his movements. "Twenty minutes until we need you back" Leo had said, his face serious as Raphael polished the twin sai in his hands, not particularly paying attention to their conversation. The red banded turtle doubted his younger brothers could reach the target in time, but Donnie grinned, glancing at his T-Phone, they still had five minutes left. _Eat it, Raph_.

There was a slither of light filtering through the room at the end of the dark, narrow hall that they navigated, Donnie's eyes narrowed.

"Ready?"

The whisper in his ear was so sudden that it elicited a sharp breath and a jump from the purple banded turtle. Mikey grinned, eyes flashing in the half-light. Donnie gruffly shoved him off his shell, trusting his brother's skill to land silently despite the rough way he was pushed.

His hand creeped forward, finding the cold still form of the doorknob. He twisted, placing a finger by the lock to muffle the sounds of the door as it opened. A cobweb by the steering stirred in the misplaced air as Mikey hung from the ceiling by the light fixture above, his eyes eerily blank.

Donatello's eyes narrowed as the radio, apparently on the blink from the static sound it erratically produced. And then the targets head, stark red against the cream walls. He leapt forward, smoothly, Bo unsheathed as he tapped the pale shoulder… of April O'Neil.

The Red head jumped, screaming, but Mikey was there, hands over her mouth as she squealed in horror. Donatello flicked on the light, a chorus of _"HAPPY HALLOWEEN"_ bellowing from their mouths, as April suddenly stilled, Mikey awkwardly clinging to her from behind. Her expression had morphed from horror, to surprise and was now rapidly shifting again.

Mikey planted a kiss on her forehead and Donnie knew the red on her face had not been from a blush as Mikey leapt away towards her bedroom window, laughing as he dodged the sudden coffee mug thrown his way from the enraged ginger.

"ABORT MISSION" He crowed, ducking the hot liquid. "ABORT MISSION" he yelped again as Donnie dodged the pillow launched at him. Before the purple banded turtle could scramble out the way, April had landed a swing of her open palm on the upside of the back of his head. Yelping, Donnie scrambled for the window Mikey had leapt out of.

"FREAKIN' NINJA'S!" April's enraged shout echoed after them out of the window as Donnie grinned.


	16. Michelangelo

**Michelangelo**

Authors note: Wow, i've not posted here forever despite writing everyday, sorry about that! I'm currently working on a LARGE tmnt story with aprox 40-50 chapters, its still only in planning stages and I've been working on it for months! for now enjoy these little shorties! REVIEWS MAKE MY DAY! even the short ones ;)

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She'd only been dazed for a second, but it was enough time for Rocksteady to find his feet. The three tons of muscle was hurtling towards her. Her mind coiled, her eyes darting to find the brothers seemingly oblivious ahead, their blades clashing with the barrage of ninja streaming their way. Her Tanto was out of reach, and her Tessen buried into the wall five meters away, batted aside like paper by the massive mutant's horn.

Outstretching her hand, she willed her drained telekinesis to manifest, if only a shield. A cry of dismay almost leapt from her throat as the familiar jolt at the back of her mind, the sign of her diminished power reserves, lanced through her head. She didn't have enough power to stop him.

The ground shuddered and she scrambled back, ignoring the blood in her mouth and the strong metallic taste washing over her tongue, her side, the one she'd landed on after one of Bebop's plasma explosions, protested loudly at the sudden movement in the form of short stabbing pains through her ribs.

She heard Donnie yell something, but the meaning was lost to her ears, deafened by the sound of her own pulse as she tried to recoil out of the Rhino's trajectory. Suddenly green had filled her vision, then orange. Air stirred her hair from above, and then she blinked as no collision came.

Then she yelled. The horn was only inches away from her nose, a chain wrapped around it. Rocksteady struggled against the kasurigama chains suddenly around him, the hot air from his flaring nostrils hitting her face with the close – too close - proximity. She scrambled back, only to see Michelangelo behind the huge mutant, leaning back with all his strength, the warmth and youth of his face replaced by something cold and enraged all at the same time.

His eyes were obscured by white shutters, his arms wrapped in his own taut chains, knuckles white and hands shaking as he yanked backwards against the mutant that easily dwarfed him. In her peripheral vision, she could see the stunned expression of Donnie, who was the closest as his younger brother held back easily six times his own weight with little more than a skid forward.

And then arms were pulling her up, Raph's familiar scent of oil and sweat filling her nose and guarantying safety as he dragged her after him to a safer spot, suddenly dumping her to the ground, Raphael whirled back to the fight in time for Mikey's sudden strength to give out, yanked forward by the huge mutant and screaming girlishly as he suddenly found himself puled into a rodeo.

She remembered staring at him on the long walk home, tuning out Donatello's nervous babble about a fractured tooth, and Leo and Raph's resulting argument as to why she'd been left to face Rocksteady alone anyway. She'd ignored the brawl once they were back, the yells from Donnie as they collided into his table, spilling various chemicals and igniting the wrath of the most reserved brother and she'd even ignored Leo's lecture about getting cut off from them during a battle.

Donatello would later marvel at his brother, then go onto a tangent about 'Hysterical Strength' to which Mikey dismissed as the larger words went through one ear slit and out the other.

She'd stared at the orange-banded brother as his bruises on his arms began to show, and then suddenly he twigged, big blue eyes glancing her way and an easy smile finding his face, extending an offer of a hug that she didn't know she wanted until he swept out his arm.

He's Mikey, he's loud, obnoxious and when provoked, he defies the laws of physics.


End file.
